Monday, June 16, 2008

My Walk

A few days ago I posted a writing entitled My Life Song, a piece that accurately displays what I am learning in my heart and life.

But I've been thinking some more.

While I still believe what I said about making Jesus my life song, I wish to clarify some points for my readers, and unite the beauties of heart and life.

First, Jesus is our leader and our passion. Always. But some of us (myself included) may find it an easier route to simply claim the name of Jesus with everything that we do, everything that we share with people, etc. But here's the catch. Unless our lives are being lived according to what Jesus taught and did, our proclaiming His name is a worthless act, and in many cases, a detrimental one.

I live in the United States, and in this country, the brand Christian is so commonly used by so many people, that the term can be used and identified with by both slums on the street and with millionaires. The name of Jesus itself is flung off the lips of both the heathen and the moral, screamed in swear words and sung in church hymns, and is used in every possible way in between, and by every kind of person. What makes the difference between the real and the unreal, the false and the true?

Only one thing. The walk.

Anyone can talk. It's easy to go to church, sit in seats, sing songs, and listen. It's easy to tell people we're Christians whenever they ask us. And for many people, it's easy to put one's kids in Sunday School, take them to VBS, etc. For some people, it's even easy to tell others about Christ - to door knock, to share through music, to witness in everyday places. To some this is the walk.

But let me tell you what's not easy.

What's not easy is telling one's wife that she is appreciated- even on hard days, taking time to wrestle on the floor with one's children, helping old ladies across streets and old gentlemen, too; meeting deadlines, deporting ourselves with grace and honor when relating to parents and elders, speaking kindly to those who speak unkindly, choosing the moral over the immoral, the right over the unclear, holiness over mediocrity; running the Christian life when we feel like walking, or when our culture expects nothing more. That's not easy. But it's right.

And that's the walk.

Who cares if I can tell the world I am passionate about Jesus Christ? What does my life say? My mouth must speak, my heart must sing, and my feet must run with passion, but unless my soul is grounded in truth, I speak for nothing, sing for no reason and run with no end in sight. To be a thoroughly passionate Christian, my heart and life must proclaim the lordship and greatness of Jesus Christ.

3 comments:

Growing up we had this little saying on our wall: "your walk talks and your talk talks but your walk talks louder than your talk talks." Think about it, and it makes a whole lotta sense...so much so, that you realize the grave importance of walking right. It's not just what we say - but how we live. People pick up on what we do faster than what we say - they must line up, or all is lost.

Also, you may have heard this before but it's true: "Going to McDonald's doesn't make you a hamburger no more than going to church makes you a Christian." I think a lot of people are of the belief that going to church "saves" them and that's all there is to it. No that's not. There's a whole.lot.more.

So I thank you so much - I realize this is coming from your heart and I am SO THANKFUL for you writing down what your heart is thinking. It's helping me to think about what my life is saying right now.

Thanks a thousand times over, and may God continue to bless you in your walk with Him.

LOL!! I guess those quotes are kinda funny if you think about it, or if you've never heard them before. :) As for me, I've heard them over and over throughout my life, and know how true they ring.

It isn't easy, but I must persevere. Something I was challenged with even today was to do my work to make my Boss (ultimately, God) look good. We so often do our work because we don't want to get in trouble, or want ourselves to look good. Instead of the opposite...in every situation, we're supposed to be making someone else look good instead of ourselves. I immediately thought of a husband/wife relationship - the wife should be there to honor & reverence and make her husband look good. K, I guess that's not where either of us are right now, but it's something we must keep at the forefront of our minds if God does bless us with marriage one day.

Alrighty now, I'll quit rambling and leave you alone for a few moments. :) Thanks for the comment back, that was sweet.